A lot has happened in the 34 years since Margaret Atwood first published The Handmaid’s Tale. In fact, the last few years alone have seen many real life major moments related to the world of Gilead.

Donald Trump – the man who boasted about “grabbing a woman’s pussy’ – was elected President in 2016. Under his presidency, we’ve recently seen women’s reproductive rights being taken away by men, as abortion bans were passed in 12 states this year. And he pretty much refuses to acknowledge the climate crisis.

The Emmy-winning TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, starring Elisabeth Moss, has served as a powerful cultural reference for what’s happening around us right now. And the handmaids’ red cloak and white hood has become an iconic symbol of protest for women.

So, the hype around Atwood’s sequel, The Testaments, has been palpable. It made the Booker Prize long-list before publication and a TV series is already in the works.

The novel takes place 15 years after the events of the first book, and looks at three women living in Gilead. Today (10 September), The Testaments is finally out.

Margaret Atwood: The Testaments is finally here, and a third book might be on its way